Thursday, May 26, 2005

by Dasapa

1:22 PM

The news cycle is gearing up for a long slow, summer. Nothing much to move the masses with, they suppose, save for the dreary, reality-based, death and destruction in the Middle East and the administration's continued use of flimsy arguments to support its blatant hypocrisy.

An example of the latter is Bush's recent statement, made while touring Indonesia, that he will veto a bill proposed by Arlen Specter, that seeks to expand funding for stem cell research. Bush's argument? He will not endorse any medical research practice that

"...violates the clear standard I set four years ago. This bill would take us across a critical ethical line by creating new incentives for the ongoing destruction of emerging human life."

Of course, that Bush would do this even though it would come at the cost of people who are suffering from terminal and/or severely debilitating diseases speaks to the flawed "faith-based logic" he and his "base" are famous for ramming down the throats of the rest of America. [Not to mention the tens of thousands of already existing human lives which we are killing accidentally in Iraq. —Misha] As evidenced by this Slate article Bush's logic—if you can call it that—is clearly at odds with his support for the death penalty. As you will see in the excellent table, Bush's belief that the continued use of the death penalty ultimately saves lives is diametrically opposed to his opinion on stem cell research. [And it's also debatable that the death penalty actually saves lives. —Misha] It's highly indicative of how Bush's inability to deal with complex issues as layered arguments results in an inflexible, prejudiced, pointless pursuit of band-aid solutions for problems. While the Vatican and the White House are clearly engaged in a war against relativism, the rest of us acknowledge that these issues should not be decided by absolute and hypocritical arguments, just common sense.

It makes sense to do everything possible to help people with terminal diseases find a possible cure. It also makes sense, if you endorse a "culture of life" to stop the use of the death penalty and focus your attention on sensitizing people to the effects of violence. Though it may be desirable—and while it is easier—it isn't possible to have an over arching explanation to solve every moral and ethical quandary. It makes sense, to me, to not expect one and to develop solutions based on the best possible information available and on the merits of each situation and not the best opinion. It is a shame our leaders, especially George W. Bush, fail to see this.